Towards modeling the predictors of managerial career success: does gender matter?

Document Information:
Title:	Towards modeling the predictors of managerial career success: does gender matter?
Author(s):	Eddleston K A, Baldridge D C, Veiga J F
Journal:	Journal of Managerial Psychology, 2004, Volume: 19 Issue: 4 pp.360-375 (16 pages)
Issn:	0268-3946

Keywords:	Career Development, Education, Family Life, Managers, Men, Mentoring, Usa, Women
Article type:	Research paper
DOI:	10.1108/02683940410537936
Reference:	33AM381 (Permanent URL)
Abstract:	Studies the factors that affect the success of managers' careers, looking at the impact of individual differences, career-related beliefs and career-enhancing outcomes on salary and management level. Also looks at the links between individual differences, career-related beliefs and career-enhancing outcomes. Discusses how managers' education, level of career impatience, number of children and the employment status of their spouses could affect their perceptions of their marketability and willingness to relocate. Also discusses how their perceptions of their marketability and willingness to relocate and their access to effective mentoring could affect their exposure to powerful networks and the number of promotion offered, which could, in turn, affect the salary and managerial level they attain. Develops this into a model of managerial career paths and tests it out by surveying MBA students at a US university (975 surveys being completed). Presents the analysis of the data and applies it to the model three times - for men only, for women only and for both men and women. Examines the relationships between the factors in the models and concludes that, while differences between men and women's career paths can be seen, the overall models of their careers are more similar than dissimilar. Overall concludes that education and career impatience play an important role in managerial careers for both men and women; that high levels of education and career impatience affect managers' beliefs about their marketability and willingness to relocate further benefiting their careers. However, reports that women's careers are likely to be impeded if they have children. Notes that access to mentoring plays an important role in access to promotions for both man and women but that men also gain access to powerful networks and, consequently, gain further advantage. Discusses the implications of this research for understanding managers' careers and for identifying factors that need to be tackled if women are to get similar access to career progression as men.